Woven tubulax fabbxc and method



May 12, 1925. 1,537,912

| A. AUMANN WOYEN TUBULAR FABRIC AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed March 16, 1922 AK F 'INVENTOR wfl BY W/W ATTORNEYS Patented May 12, 1925.

UNITED STATE my n M LOUIS A. AUMANN, OF CHICOPEE, MASSACHUSETTS.

WOVEN TUBULAR FABRIC AND METHOD MAKING THE SAME.

Application filed March 16, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Louis A. AUMA N, citizen of the United States, residing at Ghicopee, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in W oven Tubular Fabrics and Methods of Making the Same, of which the following is a specification.-

It is the object of this invention to provide an improved woven tube as a product. The improvement broadly consists in providing as an integral part of the uniformly woven tube of indefinite length, a tape on one or both of two diametrically opposite sides. The invention will be appreciated best by a reference to the prior art products consisting of woven tubes and some of the difliculties and features about them which have been overcome and improved by the presentinvention.

Woven tubes have long been made on looms arranged to weave one filler or Weft thread in two sets or adjacent series of parallel warp threads. The latter are so controlled by the harness devices of the loom that in one traverse of the shuttle the filler is laid in one set of warp threads and in the next or reverse traverse the filler from the same shuttle is laid in another set of warp threads. In this operation the tension of the filler thread bunches or crowds the warp threads together at the sides. WVhat would be the normal selvage edge of a woven fabric becomes in a woven tube (which has no edges) a region of imperfectly woven fabric. This region is a part of the tube fabric for the latter is transversely endless. Therefore the imperfection appears in the normally woven tube not as a true selvage edge but as a defect in a portion of the fabric which should be like other portions of the woven fabric tube unless provided with a true edge.

According to one object of my invention I eliminate the imperfection in the woven tube. I accomplish this and other objects by continuously weaving a tube having a woven tape along, or adjacent the region of the tube heretofore imperfectly woven and by forming this tape of the same filler thread as the tube, it is an integral part of the woven structure and prevents the warp threads ofthe tube itself from being crowded together. With such a tape arranged at one or two diametrically opposite sides of serial No. 544,327.

the tube I find that one or both of the reglons of imperfection in the Woven tube are no longer found therein. Instead, my im proved woven tube has one or more true edges. This improvement is particularly new and useful in tubes of indefinite length such as are produced in the continuous uniform operation of the loom. The edge portion forming an integral part of the tube prevents the confusing twisting of the tubeabout its axis from one end to the other. This occurs because with the tape or true edge as an anchor and guide the tube is substantially straight if the tape is and the latter can be easily kept straight where the tube without the tape can not.

Other objects of the invention, particularly the improved uses bf the new product, will appear in the detailed description and annexed claims.

Before referring to the drawings, it should be understood that the art of weaving transversely endless tubes is very old. I shall, therefore, refer to what is known without describing it exceptas necessary for the purpose of making the practice of the present invention clear.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a short length of the improved tubular product, the tube being shown in opened up or cylindrical form with its upper end tipped forwardly to show clearly the transversely endless fabric; and

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the improved product with weft threads spaced apart in exaggeration to make their course clear and most of the warp and weft threads not shown.

In the making of the new product the looin is arranged for operating on the warp and weft threads over the width a just as it always has been in making the old form of woven tube. Additional operations are then provided for in the loom. Warp threads are provided for the width b and preferably at each side of the width of warp threads (1. Harness is then arranged to work the extra weft threads in regions Z2 at the sides of the normal region a in a manner different from warp threads of the tube portion.

The preferred weaving operation will be clearly understood when one considers that it is identical with the old except at the sides. To illustrate the change the extra warp threads at the sides are seen spaced apart at 8 while the course of the weft thread or filler f is indicated but in widely spaced relative positions.

The course of the filler thread fills the warp of the bottom part of the tube on one traverse of the shuttle indicated as at 1. It then turns at the line N and fills the warp of the top side of the tube (not shown) on the next traverse of the shuttle. But upon reaching the line M it continues on to fill the warpof the left hand tape portion at 13 (Fig, 2) and turns at line P, travels back to line N filling the bottom side of the tube at3, but continues on to fill the warp of the right hand tape portion at f. It then travels back filling the top side of the tube (not shown) but turns at line M, travels back as at 5, and turns at line N. Continuing, as theshuttle works, the bottom side of the tube is filled by courses 5, 7, 9, etc., while the top side is filled by courses l 6, 8, 10, etc, but at everyother complete reciprocation of the shuttle or upon alternate complete cycles in filling the warp of the tube the shuttle operates to fill the warp threads of the tape portions. I

This operation is readily brought about without changing the actual travclrofthe shuttle. The warp of the tape portions is controlled by a harness device, the operation of which will now be well understood, to cause these warp portions to take the filler only upon alternate comp'lete filling operations and preferably on both sides of the tube.

The filler thread on the top side T of the tube is indicated at a, 6, 8, 10, 12 while on the bottom side it is indicated at 1, 3, 5', 7, 9 and 11. The top thread corresponding to 1 has been cut away in the figure. If shown, it would be marked 2. Considering the tube in cylindrical form, the filler thread starting with course 1 encircles the tube transversely of its warp threads. It then again encircles the tube but in addition extends out to fill the tape edge warp threads of E on opposite sides. This is the course 3- 1. Continuing, it encircles the tube but without filling the edge warp E. This is course 5-6. Then it repeats in courses 78 and 910 corresponding respectively to courses 3 4 and 56 and so on successively encircling the tube and on alternate complete tube courses also filling the warp threads of. the edges as in course 1112.

By the'arrangement of warp and filler woven as described it is clear that the tape edges E, because they receive the filler thread on its alternate encircling courses of the tube will be of single thickness, i. e.,' of non-tubular form. The tape edges will be also an integral part of the tube fabric. Furthermore the two tape edges described will be necessarily at diametrically opposite sides of the tube as indicated in Fig. 2 and extend parallel with the indefinite length of the tube proper. In other words, the integral tape edge will be of the identical length of the transversely endless tube whatever length that may be.

Obviously when the tape sections are woven as hereinbefore described by causing the shuttle to fill the warp threads of the tape sections only at alternate complete reciprocations of the shuttle the thickness of the tape sections will be substantially the same as that of the tube fabric itself. Such weaving of the tape sections is preferable when the tube fabric is very closely woven but if the tube fabric is more loosely woven as in low count fabrics it may be preferred to weave the filling through the warp threads of the tape sections at every complete reciprocation of the shuttle. In such cases the tape sections will be much thicker and heavier than the tube fabric itself.

After the tube is woven it will be passed through the usual finishing operations. With the tape edges E on the product, the tube can be handled in the finishing operations with substantially the same advantages as a single sheet of woven fabric because the tape edges will control the lay of the tube to hold it flat and symmetrical and prevent it from turning or twisting on its axis. The old form of tube because it has no means to accurately locate its sides when flat is always liable to be twisted in the handling operations. a

In the new product the strength of the tape edges E which contain the filler at every other turn and at each side, prevents any crowding together of the warp threads of the tube proper. Consequently the oint of either of the tape edges E with the tube appears a well defined line L (Fig. 1) of good workmanship and neat appearance. The portions or regions of imperfect weaving of the old product have therefore bee eliminated in the new product.

Furthermore-in weaving tubular fabric in the manner heretofore employed, when the filling gets low on the bobbin the tension upon the filling thread increases causing warp threadsof the selvage to be pulled or crowded inwardly so as to form noticeable puckers in'the salvage and these imperfections frequently break out in the finishing. Such defects are entirely avoided and a stronger selvage is insured by the practice of the present process.

The herein described process is applicable to the making of tubular woven fabrics of various grades and kinds. The process is particularly adaptable for making tubular fabric suitable for use in making pillow slips or cases. When the product of the present process is used as a pillow slip, it

6 held straight.

can be ironed more easily because its proper flat shape without a twist is readily determined by its tape edges. The pillow can be inserted in the tube while the latter is easily It is customary to decorate the sides of pillow slips or cases. The tape edges may themselves be embroidered scalloped, and otherwise decorated, or they may serve to hold attached decorative additions which would otherwise need to be sewed on the tube directly with much laborious care. Another important application of the present invention is .for weaving double faced rugs. Rugs made in this way are reversible and by reason of their double thick ness their wearing qualities'are greatly increased. When the product is to be used as a rug the shuttle is preferably operated to fill the warps of both tape edges at every complete reciprocation of the shuttle iusrea of at alternate complete reciprocations of the shuttle. Consequently the thickness of the tape edges will be substantially the same as that of the tube section of the fabric. These thick tape sections serve to counteract any tendency of the rug to roll or curl at the edges or corners and thus they assist in causing the rug to lie flat upon the floor.

For certain uses of the product it may be desired to have only one tape edge on the tube. This can be readily provided by omitting the warp threads and operations with relation to one side only of the tube while being woven.

Having described my invention in its pre ferred form, I claim the following 1. A new fabric product comprising a transversely endless and longitudinally continuous tubeof indefinite length provided along each of two diametrically opposite longitudinal lines with an integral woven tape portion of single thickness corresponding to the fabric of the tube and extending continuously throughout the length of the tube, said tape portion including not more than one half of the same weft threads as the tube.

2. A new fabric product comprising a transversely endless and longitudinally continuous tube of indefinite length having opposite longitudinal tape portions of nontubular form extending continuously throughout the length of the tube and comprising warp threads interwoven with the weft threads of the tube, the warp threads of said tape portions corresponding to the warp threads of said tube and the weft thread of said tube having only its. alternate encircling courses interwoven with the warp threads of said tape portions.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

LOUIS A. AUMANN. 

